The Power of the Feminine in Macbeth

In the play and both film versions of Shakespeare's Macbeth, women are given a fairly large amount of
agency or power. Interestingly enough, the women control not only their own destiny, but also that of our
hero himself, Macbeth. Femininity, particularly that of the maternal, is a very widely used theme in the play
and films. However it represents not only the nurture and support of a mother, but also a more terrifying
aspect of womanhood- one of deceit, manipulation, and power.
The prominent female figures are the witches and Lady Macbeth. The three witches in the tragedy are
introduced right at the beginning of the play and the brief opening scenes give an immediate impression of
mystery, horror and uncertainty. The witches create an atmosphere of evil and disorder. Everything that the
witches do implies otherworldly power and a sense of inescapable and enchanting evil. However Banquo
does not seem to be drawn into this spell. Banquo says in act 1 scene 3 line 124:
"The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence."
Banquo's idea of the witches is obviously one of mistrust and misgiving. He calls them instruments of
darkness and the devil. He sees beyond the witches and can see that they are evil, whereas Macbeth is taken
in by the witches. Their feminine spell has ensnared him. It is Macbeth's interest in the sisters that
motivates him to listen to and speak with them. Had Macbeth followed his friend's advice and left the
witches before they spoke, the tragedy may have never occurred. Later on in the play after he has let their
prophecy determine his actions, he again seeks them out and asks them to speak into his life or control his
future and destiny.
As apparent as the witch's influence is, their power cannot even compare to that of Lady MacBeth. Lady
Macbeth is shown early in the play as an ambitious woman with a single purpose. She can manipulate
Macbeth easily. This is shown in act 1 scene 5:
"That I may pour my spirits in thine ear"
She is convinced early on in the play that she has power over MacBeth's thoughts. Before the speech that
Lady Macbeth gives in act one scene five, Macbeth is resolved not to go through with the killing of the
king. However, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth's self-esteem by playing on his manliness and his
bravery. This then convinces Macbeth to commit the murder. It is like a child who is easily guided by the
woman he trusts and loves, his mother. Lady Macbeth knows this and uses it to her advantage. She is the
dominating individual in the relationship, it seems that she can convince him to do anything as long as she
pushes the right buttons. Her manipulative powers are especially shown in act 1 scene 7 line 39 when she
says:
" Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour, as thou art in desire?"
She challenges his character by asking him whether he has the courage of his convictions to achieve what
he desires, again she is playing on his courage and bravery to try and manipulate him into killing Duncan.
On the other hand, as the play progresses, and Duncan is killed, there is a reversal of natural order, and
Macbeth becomes the dominating partner again. Lady Macbeth becomes subservient. She becomes pathetic
and only a shadow of her former self. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have high ambitions that drive
them. Lady Macbeth's ambition drives her to manipulate Macbeth into committing the crimes. Macbeth's
fierce ambition is present before the witches' prophesies, yet he would never have thought seriously about
killing Duncan without the witches or Lady Macbeth. The combination of his ambitious nature, the initial
prophecies and his wife's influence lead him to kill the king.
The Roman Polanski version of the film somewhat depicts this feminine power, however he chooses to not
make it as apparent as Shakespeare or Kurosawa. The very beginning of the film features the witches,
showing their importance and significance. As they bury their foreshadowing treasure, the old blind witch
pours blood on the sand as the conclusion of whatever black ceremony they had just performed. This blood
not only represents the death and destruction that is about to occur, but also the menstrual blood of a
woman. The blood is used to as if to seal the spell, to give it the power to work. They also add blood as the
final ingredient to the potion they mix for Macbeth to drink. However the blood is not cooked in with the
potion, but added raw to the cup right before he drinks so as not to loose any of it's potency or power.
The most powerful of the witches is the blind woman. Although she cannot see, she still seems to be all
knowing and all-powerful. She is drawing her power from some other source, a feminine source that
Macbeth could never understand. The young blond witch represents the more sexual side of women. She is
fairly attractive and sexually explicit in her interactions with Macbeth. As he follows her into their cave,
she pulls up her skirt and flashes him, almost as if to entice him into the cave where they are all awaiting
his presence in the nude. This nudity is meant not only to frighten Macbeth, but to enchant him as well and
cause him to obey them in taking part in their ceremony. This young witch also has an eerie similarity to
Lady Macbeth. She is young, blond, and thin, just as Lady Macbeth is.
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth seem to have a very loving relationship in the film. Both are young and
beautiful and seem very happy and vibrant. Lady Macbeth was depicted this way to seem more enticing
and seductive. The scene where she actually convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan occurs on a bed, the place
of procreation. She looks beautiful, with her hair flowing and framing her face. She presents her plot in a
very seductive manner, touching him and smirking while whispering in his ear. Although he at first resists,
he eventually gives into her power when he watches her dance with the King who seems to be under her
power as well. However the roles do switch later on in the film once he has killed Duncan, Banquo, and
Lady Macduff. The death of Lady Macduff is what seems to make this change in Lady Macbeth. It's almost
as if her dream was destroyed right along with Lady Macduff. She has realized that the feminine can no
longer control Macbeth, he has once again claimed his own power and used it to kill this innocent woman
and her children. She appears naked as she is sleepwalking to show that she is again vulnerable and without
agency. She will forever have bloodstained hands.
Lady Macbeth is treated quite differently in Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. She is very cold and harsh,
almost seemingly unreal. She is constantly framed in light while the rest of the scene is dark, showing her
significance. She is dressed in white, which shows mock innocence. Her face is very pale and she
seemingly moves without moving; rather she glides or floats. She is very ghostlike and has an ominous
demeanor. One almost expects horns to sprout from the darkened lines on her forehead. This surreal
appearance is most effective in showing her power. Several times throughout the film it seems as if she is
no more that Washizu's ambition personified, little more than an evil thought he entertains. She never
makes eye contact with Washizu but merely sits calmly and speaks her poison. You must wonder if she is
even really there, or if it is just a dark aspect of Washizu speaking. She is always very still and quiet, very
self-confident and very much in control. This in itself entices Washizu who seems very unsure and uptight.
When Asaji does move, it is also very controlled and as smooth as the silk she wears. Even her clothing
becomes terrifying. When she moves, an incredibly uncanny sound is made. The sound is reminiscent of a
shrieking ghost, or possibly the sharpening of a blade. The sound is quiet yet formidable, just like Asaji
herself. She seems to be an extension of the demon spirit he meets in the forest, only with a darker soul.
She uses a much deeper type of manipulation than the Polanski Lady Macbeth. She uses Macbeth's
shortcomings against him by convincing him that his fears are a reality. Polanski's Lady Macbeth genuinely
seems to be trying to help her husband, while Kurosawa's seems to be trying to damn him. She even lies
about being pregnant to try to sway his mind. She seems more ambitious than her husband and will
sacrifice not only herself, but him as well for her pleasures. However she is convinced of most of the things
she says. When Washizu says that Miki's children will rule and no one can change that, she responds by
saying that she will change it. Even though all the other prophesies had proved true, she still feels that she
has the power to change the future. Yet she falls to the same fate as both Shakespeare's and Polanski's Lady
Macbeth.
The forest spirit also greatly controls Washizu in this film. She is incredibly eerie, even creepy. She is
introduced with an evil laughter resounding in the forest as she mocks their confusion. She then turns quite
serious and sings a very gloomy song about the downfalls of man and pride. She has a deep voice and
almost even resembles a man, yet she is most definitely a woman and her white face mirrors that of Asaji.
She is sowing, perhaps holding their lives in her hands as a strand of silk being woven- much as the fates,
and lures them with her song as the sirens of Greek mythology. The same light that surrounds Asaji is
present around the spirit as well. She is the keeper of the wood, the very wood that predicts Washizu's
downfall. She holds his destiny just as the witches, yet she foreshadows the tragedy in her song and it
seems she almost tries to protect him from himself. Nevertheless she becomes a vision of terror once
Washizu has chosen his path and begun the killing. She is very in touch with nature, even controls it. She
causes a terrible and frightening storm when Washizu seeks her out, and though her words seem
comforting, her demeanor is far from it which implies deception. She is always on a different plane from
the men, always raised above them. This shows her power and ability to control. She speaks much into his
life, not only by the prophecy but also by the song. She knows him better than he knows himself and can
thus control him.
Therefore, the witches and Lady Macbeth were used by Shakespeare, Polanski, and Kurosawa to control
Macbeth. The Polanski women were seductive while the Kurosawa women were terrifying, but both
definitely controlled the actions of Macbeth. Maternal power was given to all versions of Lady Macbeth in
her power over Macbeth, yet it was also denied in her barrenness. Her power was also eventually taken
away by her insanity, showing that their deed took away all power either could have over their lives. Both
were equally convincing due to Shakespeare's genius in leaving so much to interpretation. Although
Shakespeare did leave much to the imagination, it is apparent that he gave the women in Macbeth the
ability and power to control his destiny.